Work Permits Update — June 4, 2026
Thursday, June 4, 2026
Canada's 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan increased the LMIA-exempt work permit target under the International Mobility Program to 170,000 (up ~32% from the previous plan's 128,700), while reducing the LMIA-based Temporary Foreign Worker Program target from 82,000 to 60,000.
Applicants under the 2021 Temporary Resident to Permanent Resident pathway who are still awaiting a PR decision can apply for an open work permit until December 31, 2026.
Enhanced scrutiny is now applied to work permit applications, including job offer authenticity checks, employer background checks, and financial stability verification.
What You Should Do
- If you applied under the 2021 TR-to-PR pathway and are still awaiting a PR decision, apply for an open work permit before December 31, 2026 at canada.ca/tr-pr-pathway-open-work-permit to maintain your status and continue working.
- Employers hiring foreign workers should assess whether their role qualifies under LMIA-exempt categories (CUSMA, CETA, intra-company transfer, etc.) given the increased IMP targets — check canada.ca/international-mobility-program for eligible categories.
- Foreign workers applying for LMIA-based permits should prepare for tighter scrutiny: gather proof of job offer authenticity, employer registration documents, and financial stability records before applying.
Sources
Topics Covered
LMIA-Exempt Work Permit Expansion: The 2026–2028 Levels Plan sets IMP targets at 170,000 (up ~32%) while cutting TFWP targets to 60,000 (down ~27%), signaling a clear policy shift toward LMIA-exempt pathways.
2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan: The 2026–2028 plan sets total new temporary resident arrivals at 385,000 in 2026 and 370,000 in 2027–2028, with the worker mix shifted heavily toward LMIA-exempt IMP at 170,000.
More Work Permits Updates
Work Permits Update — June 11, 2026
Jun 11, 2026
Work Permits Update — June 8, 2026
Jun 8, 2026
Work Permits Update — June 1, 2026
Jun 1, 2026
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